Equipped for the workplace

Informative Discussions

With competition being so stiff and the job market not being able to cater to the large supply of students, many colleges are conducting pre-placement talks to help students face recruiters.

These talks include mock demos, aptitude training, presentation skills, communication skills and dos and don’ts during an interview. They also touch on issues like thinking on one’s feet and conversing during an interview with ease. Metrolife interacts with students and colleges to find out more about these talks.

Divya J, who will be entering her fourth year at MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology, says, “It was a learning experience for us. With these sessions, we get to prepare in advance rather than going for an interview unprepared. For instance, one of the pre-placement talks introduced us to the importance of team work.” She adds, “Many of the companies want us to think outside-the-box. These talks help us know what companies want. Plus, it is an interesting experience for everyone.”

Raghav Sharma, an engineering student specialising in telecommunications, attended a pre-placement talk organised by his college two weeks ago. He says, “It helped in preparing for the interviews and the group discussions. Two guest trainers were brought in. While one of them told us how to crack the aptitude test, the other trainer focussed on communication skills.” He adds, “We get to know the manner in which we should answer questions. Overall, it was a good session.”

Students who have passed out say that these sessions are very useful since they give them a preview of what is to come. According to Roshan, who has just passed out from engineering college, these talks give students an idea as to what is expected from them by companies.  “We got to know the industrial demands, how to go about an interview and resume building,” he says.

CBM Bhooshan, director of placements at Acharya Institutes, emphasises the importance of these talks. “Companies are looking for those who are corporate-ready, rather than having to deal with those whom they have to groom. Whether it is in terms of skills, aptitude, analytical skills or even domain skills, companies are looking for well-groomed students,” he explains.

He adds that most companies have similar ethical codes, revenue needs, marketing strategies and corporate ethics.

 “We have soft-skills training integrated in the course from the first year onwards and when students enter the seventh semester, there is a separate talk,” he explains.   “We have told students that nowadays, recruiters might hire only two out of 100 students.

We also bring in former students who have worked for two years to talk to the students. That way, they will get to know about corporate life from their peers,” he says. 

Varun Melanta, director of MVJ College of Engineering, says that they start a soft-skills programme right from first year.  “With companies having very stringent recruiting policies these days, we have told students to be careful and take care. During these sessions, we tell them what they should look out for in particular,” he says.